Maxim Decides Which Movie Really Deserves Best Picture

The Academy Awards are on Sunday, and while we know the real race is down to Boyhood vs. Birdman, that hasn’t stopped us from using this opportunity to opine on what we think should win Best Picture. Check out what the Maxim staff loved this year and follow along with us on Twitter on Sunday night for our pithy commentary on the biggest awards show of them all.

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Mike Guy

Whiplash – I have no idea where this movie came from, but I left the theater in a state of complete astonishment.

Cara Hessels

Birdman! Birdman is an overwhelming assault on the senses that leaves you feeling pleasantly exhausted and moved. Keaton is king. (And Edward Norton's bulge...)

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Andrew Burmon

​Gotta go Birdman. What sets it apart is how unbelievably bad it could have been. Think about Prairie Home Companion, a similar conceit handled by Robert Altman, a man who was very good at making movies, and how bad it was. I kept waiting for the whole thing to incept itself or get saccharine and it never did. They stuck the damn landing. The Lego Movie is a close second for similar reasons

Gabriella Paiella

Boyhood was nothing less than a cinematic masterpiece -- Richard Linklater’s moving coming-of-age story is an exceptional film for the ages. Not to mention his technique of filming the same stellar cast for twelve years. (I can’t think of anything I’ve done consistently for twelve years.)

Chris Wilson

I’m gonna go with Boyhood. Richard Linklater utilized a great gimmick -- filming the same cast over 12 years -- to tell a remarkable coming of age tale packed with fine performances. More importantly, Boyhood has momentum on its side, having recently won best picture and director at the British Academy of Film and Television Arts awards. Yeah, I don’t really care about those either, but Oscar obsessives point out that over the last six years, all of BAFTA’s best picture winners have gone on to clinch the best picture Oscar.

Adam Linehan

My vote goes to The Grand Budapest Hotel. It's one of Wes Anderson's greatest achievements to date, and it's about time the man was awarded an Oscar.

Sean Abrams

I didn’t see any of the movies! But I’d pick Birdman. Simply because of Emma Stone.